Chapter 1: Every end has a beginning
"Ryoko, Ryoko, Hey are you out here," a girl wearing a garden uniform repeatedly shouted, not to far away another girl also wearing the same uniform was lying in the grass sleeping. The girl who was shouting spotted her and smiled, "oh Ryoko what am I going to do with you?" she said as she kneeled over and kissed the other girl's forehead. The girl slowly opened her eyes, she could only see a shady image at first but her eyes adjusted and she sprang up, "oh Fuko it's you! I thought I heard your voice, simply thought I was dreaming though," Ryoko said as she stood on her feet. Fuko smiled "do you know what today is, more importantly what time it almost is?" Ryoko looked at her confused and said, "well judging by the sun's position it must be between lunch and fastly approaching dinner, and it's Tuesday which means your cooking burgers today am I right". Fuko sighed as she got up and started walking back to the garden, "hey wait up!" Ryoko said as she grabbed her bag and followed her, "ok then what is today then?" she asked looking up at the sky. Fuko smiled and turned around, "I guess you forgot today's our field exam, today's the day we're going to become SeeD members," she said and then quickly turned around and started running as fast as she could. Shocked Ryoko stood there for awhile and finally said, "Whoa wait up! Damn it why couldn't you say something earlier!" she then started to run and chase after Fuko. A few hours later the girls we're in the garage waiting for there instructor to come, the door opened and in walked Rinoa Heartily, everyone there saluted her and she did the same. "Good evening class I hope you've all had plenty of food and rest, cause your field test will be no ordinary one, as most of you know the Sokovin Republic has been suffering numerous attacks from the Elveen Anarchy. It's our job as SeeD to protect the Sokovin Republic, but not just because we're getting paid, but we also have a long term alliance with them, so this is more then just our job, its become our duty. Due to current situations we have no choice but to dispatch candidates into the battlefield, so I sure hope you're all ready and taking this seriously," she said as she saluted them all, "yes ma'am," they all responded and saluted back. "Ok if you can survive this and do good while doing it, you'll defiantly make it into SeeD, so LET'S MOVE OUT," Rinoa said. Everyone got into there designated vehicles, the garage doors opened up and they all rode out, they raced to the near by town of Balkan Central, once there everyone rushed to the docks. Bystanders stepped to the side of the roads clearing a path for them, some rooted them on, but as she was running Ryoko saw a teddy bear in the middle of the street she also heard a girl crying to her mommy to go back for it. "I'll be right back," she said as she picked it up and jumped out of the crowd, "huh? Hey wait, Ryoko!" Fuko said trying to stop her. The girl saw Ryoko running to her with the teddy bear in her arms, "mommy look, look! My teddy!" the mother dropped the child and ran over to Ryoko. Ryoko smiled and knelt down handing the girl her bear, "I believe this belongs to you," the girl hugged the bear and then Ryoko, "thank you miss...please stop the bad people". Ryoko stood up and nodded, she then ran off as to catch up with the rest of the group, she got to the docks Rinoa waiting impatiently for her exploded. "Where the hell where you? Do you think this is some kind of joke, we're at war and have no time for your little side trips," Ryoko did not speak as she lectured her, "I'm sorry miss, it won't happen again". "It better not, now get to your team's boat," Rinoa said as she walked off to rejoin her group, Ryoko ran to her boat and walked inside, Fuko waved and patted an open seat next to her. "So was Instructor Heartily mad?" she asked, Ryoko gave a slight chuckle, "as always, but I had to get that girl her toy for her," Ryoko replied, Fuko looked up and smiled sitting back some. "Yeah you always were the heroine, though I don't see why you couldn't wait till after we all got to the docks, that way you wouldn't be in trouble and the girl would have her toy," Fuko smiled as she laid her head on Ryoko's shoulder. "Yeah but someone could have damaged it, but forget that we better try and get all the rest we can while we can," Ryoko said ending the conversation, she placed her head on top of Fuko's and they both drifted off to sleep. Several hours later they reached the peninsula of Khan, usually this is a big tourist spot and great beach resort but that's not the case now. Napalm blast left and right, hundreds of people fighting each other hand-to-hand, with guns, or with anything else they could find, the beaches were filled with black mucky sand and the towns seemed to have been battle-scarred for years. It was a living hell, Ryoko and Fuko could only watch in horror, Rinoa called to them breaking them from the trance, "Ryoko, Fuko it's time, time to prove yourself's worthy so don't get scared now," Rinoa placed her projectile on her arm. The girls nodded and pulled out there weapons and headed out the door of the boat, death was the first thing they saw as a wounded man crawled over to them, "no...you're too young, run!" he said. Just then a low Elveen fighter swooped down and stabbed the man in the back and twisted the blade, the man helpless slightly coughed up some blood and drowned in a pool of his own blood, the Elveen laughed. Ryoko was devastated to see such a thing happen, the Elveen set his sight on her and Fuko, this being there first actual battle the two girls were frozen with fear as the Elveen charged at them ready to attack. Out of nowhere a whip wrapped around the Elveen's throat stopping his attack, then Rinoa launched her projectile slicing him in half, "Ryoko my best student...this just isn't like you at all, if you don't shape up that might be you next time," a voice said comming from the direction the whip did. Ryoko looked and caught sight of her Instructor, "Helena...I mean Instructor Trepe...I...thank you I won't let it happen again," she said as she pulled out her two gunblades, "yeah you better, now let's get to the check point, Ryoko, Fuko, and Instructor Trepe your all with me for now," Rinoa said as she analyzed the situation. The four of them ran across the battlefield avoiding bombs and napalm fire they reached the city gates, but waiting for them was a little welcoming committee, "oh great more guards...ok there's six of them, we'll take em in groups," Helena said as she signaled Ryoko and Fuko to take the three on the left. "Ok, Ryoko...are you ready to fight...," Fuko said softly, Ryoko looked at her puzzled, "of course I am, last time was just pre-fight jitters," she said smiling. Fuko did not smile, Ryoko got up and charged the Elveens, "even if it means killing?" Fuko finally said, she then got up and charged the Elveens along with Ryoko. The guards saw them and prepared for battle, "out of our way, Dancing Edge!" Ryoko said as she sliced continuously but elegantly almost as if she was dancing with her blades. She took out one of the guards and one was about to attack her from behind but she could now react in time for there was one in front already attacking her. "Don't worry, I've got your back," Fuko said as she lunged her kunai (sickle like dagger) with chain at the feet of the guard behind Ryoko, the Elveen feel to ground, "heh thanks," she said still guarding against the flurry of attacks coming from the other guard. She then parried his sword knocking him off balance and then smacked the sword out of his hand, she smiled and placed the tip of her blade in his face, "if you want to leave I won't stop you, but I'm not about to murder someone for no good reason," she said. Fuko smiled sitting on top of the two other guards they knocked out, "you better take her advice, trust me Ryoko has a bad temper," she said as she got up and began tying them up. Ryoko fumed at hearing that, "hey what do you mean I've got a bad temper," Fuko laughed, but as the two of them were talking the Elveen guard reclaimed his sword, "you foolish children, never take your eyes off your enemy," he said as she rushed at Ryoko sword high and ready to slice her in half. "Please," Ryoko said as she side stepped and whacked the guard on the back of the neck with her backside of her blade, the guard fell to his knees unconscious. "Hey that was pretty fun, then again these guys were weaklings," she said as she carried the guard to the pile near Fuko, "oh yeah then why were you having such problems, if I hadn't have been there you would have got cut down admit it," Fuko said smiling. The two laughed, "hey, there's nothing funny about wars, unless you girls are slacking off and having a picnic I see no reason to hear your laughter," Rinoa said as she and Helena walked to them carrying the guards they fought with them. Ryoko smiled, "see Instructor Heartily even you have a good side, you didn't kill them you only knocked them out," Rinoa dropped the guard she was dragging by the leg, "hey what's that supposed to mean, it's not like we're cold blooded killers. Anyways come on we need to get to the communication tower, for some reason that's where there all heading, so the new mission objective is learn, infiltrate, and contain got that? No heroics," she said as she undressed one of the guards, "Instructor what are you doing?" Fuko asked in amazement. Rinoa glared at her, "didn't you hear me, infiltrate, which means if we want to know what there up to and get into there base of operation without being noticed then we have to dress like them. God what do you think I was doing," Rinoa stripped four of the guards of there clothing and handed one suit to everyone. "I better tag along with you and Fuko, just incase you girls get yourself into something way over your heads," Helena said as she placed the guards helmet on, Rinoa nodded, "yes that would be good, just make sure you keep them in line".
